Friday, 25 December 2015

The
song of the exiles... “By the river of Babylon”. The psalmist feels the pain
and anguish of the destruction of Jerusalem and worries about forgetting yet
finding it impossible to sing.

The
second psalm is a song of praise and deliverance and ends with the psalmist
faithfully claiming, “the Lord will fulfil his purpose for me”.

Isaiah
60: 1 – 11

Isaiah
prophesies the rebuilding and restoration of Jerusalem including the use of
foreign resources and labour –believers from other nations. Jerusalem’s gates
will be forever open and kings will visit.

Acts 6: 1 – 7 and 7: 1 – 47

Early
on in the church the number of disciples increases. Poor organisation for food
distribution to widows leads to the appointment of 7 people who the apostles
pray over and lay hands on. Stephen is one of these.

Stephen
is full of the Spirit in ministry and the word. He is accused of blasphemy
against Moses and God. In answering the charges. He recites the story of God’s
relationship and interactions with the people from Abraham to Solomon’s
building of the first temple.

Collect for
Morning Prayer

Ruins of the telegraph station
Eucla WA L Osburn

Holy and sufficient God,
you care for us whether we are refugees and exiles, besieged by armies or other
terrors or in new developing communities of faith. Help us to read receive
assistance from others. Help us to be humble, to recognise that we cannot do
all the tasks required alone and to appoint your faithful people from diverse
backgrounds, pray for them and encourage your Spirit in them so that your
purpose for each of us may be fulfilled through Jesus Christ Your Son our Lord. Amen.

Saturday 26
December 2015

Evening
Prayer

Psalm
139

The
psalmist loves, reveres and understands the majesty and ever-presence of God.
He wants to distance himself from anyone and anything that is opposed to God –
to actively step away. He appeals to God to examine him, test him and lead him
in the right way.

Isaiah
28: 1 – 13

Isaiah
warns Samaria of an invasion that will take away the pride of the city, which
is like a wreath decorating a head. This wreath is drunk and out of order. The
remnant of faithful people will have God as their wreath: God’s spirit of
justice and source of strength.

Even
these faithful are staggering currently and making poor decisions.

Those
hearing Isaiah mock and all they hear is like instructions for children: do
this, do that, rule after rule, little step after little step. They will hear
now through the new language of the invader, they won’t understand that God
says this is a place where the weary are allowed to rest. So they will think
the way forward is found through rules – things that tells them what to do and
lead them little by little. Through this they will be captured, injured and
fall into the snare.

Titus 1

Paul writes to Titus who is on the
island of Crete. He instructs him on the characteristics he is to use to
identify elders and to appoint them.

Titus is to silence people who
rebel, whose actions are deceitful and stop them from spreading false things or
seeking dishonest gain. Titus is to rebuke them so that their faith will be
sound – not full of old myths.

To the pure all things are pure.

But for those who are corrupt,
they unable to see the pure and their actions deny God and reveal their
corruption. They are not able to do good things.

Collect for Evening Prayer

Together
Oaklands NSW L Osburn

Wonderful counsellor, ever-living
God you love us and want us to be with you. Help us hear your words and examine
ourselves, step away from any thing that is opposed to you and encourage others
to do the same so that we are able to do your will and build your glorious
kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.